Three backhoe drivers lost their lives when a waste pile collapsed near a jade mining pond in Seikmu village-tract, Hpakant Township, Kachin State, on January 30, according to local reports on social media.

The victims have been recovered, and their identities confirmed. They were identified as 34-year-old Ko Htay Naing, 32-year-old Ko Han Win Aung, and 29-year-old Ko Zayar Hein. Further details on the incident remain unknown.

This tragedy follows another jade mining disaster in Hpakant on January 13, when a mining pond collapse submerged 57 homes and resulted in 32 fatalities.

Since the political changes in 2021, official jade mining operations in Hpakant have been suspended. However, large-scale illegal mining persists, leading to frequent and deadly incidents, including landslides and pond collapses.

One of the deadliest mining disasters in Hpakant occurred in July 2020, when a landslide at a jade mining site in Wai Kha Village claimed the lives of over 190 freelance miners.